I’m watching the Bush-Putin joint press conference in advance of the G8 meeting. A female reporter asked a two-part question. First, she wanted to know if Bush and Putin had discussed weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and non-proliferation strategies. Second, she wanted to know if U.S.-Russian relations had deteriorated in recent years. Bush answered first. He said that they had indeed discussed WMD, Iran, and North Korea and that they had resolved to speak with a common voice that their nuclear ambitions were not acceptable. Then he said that U.S.-Russian relations were strong, that there were skeptics on both sides, but cooperation was still strong. Then it was Putin’s turn.
Putin spoke in Russian, so I am relying on his translator. First he let out a big sigh. Then he said (paraphrasing):
“First, I want to make it clear that we will not be joining any crusades, or holy alliances.”
Given current conditions in the Middle East, that perked up my ears. He went on to say that U.S.-Russian cooperation (a reference to Bush’s common voice) did NOT represent a conspiracy against any particular state (Iran) and that their intention was not to deny Iran their right to develop nuclear energy, but to find a solution to the current crisis. Very tough words. He also managed to slam Bush on another question. Asked about deficiencies in Russian democracy, Putin replied:
“It’s true that we do not really want to emulate Iraq’s democracy.”
That got a lot of uncomfortable laughs.
Putin looked stern and humorless, and seemed to be either annoyed to have to take questions or annoyed to have to spend time with George W. Bush. It looks like their meeting has not gone well at all.
Putin did recognize that Israel has a right to respond to attacks originating from Lebanon, but said that ‘bloodshed should cease’ and that nothing will be improved through violence.
All told, he made a fool of Bush. It’s strange to have a Russian strongman scoring points on a U.S. President and to feel ambivalent about it. It just shows how out of touch with reality the Bush administration has become that the vast majority of the world is more sympathetic to Putin’s positions on the issues than they are to Bush’s.
I do wonder, though, why Putin felt the need to assure the world that Russia will not be joining in any crusades or holy alliances?
We know that any words uttered from that bunch have the opposite quality. So it is not much of a stretch to find that Putin, despite the fact that he wants to be a KGB strongman, finds himself putting his finger in the dike trying to hold back WW III. Putin probably has few morals, but he IS head of a huge country and his future, his country’s future is in the balance here as well.
Bush, on the other hand, feels no loyalty to the country he heads, has no intellect to understand the predicament he is putting us in.
I’m glad to see someone with power stand up to Bush. Though I’m not a big Putin fan, he will make points with the EU.
why Putin felt the need to assure the world that Russia will not be joining in any crusades or holy alliances?
I assume your suspicions are that Bush is trying to gather international support for an attack on Iran. This would also explain the visit to Germany, since it would be a diplomatic coup if the Germans were stupid enough to support our militarism this time around after they were proven right in their opposition 3 years ago. I’m obviously not privy to private details of the discussions, but based on everything I have read there doesn’t seem to be anything that Bush could offer to get the Russians and Chinese to go along. I’m not so sure about the Germans, I don’t have any kind of read on Merkle.
What I can’t figure out is why the focus still seems to be on Iran instead of the crazy guy who already has nuclear weapons. The only explanation I can think of is that the White House is thinking strictly in political terms, even though governing that way has bitten them in the ass dozens of times in the last few years. They have no effective internal enemies, constantly damaging your own public image when no one else can hurt you doesn’t make any sense.
It’s strange to have a Russian strongman scoring points on a U.S. President and to feel ambivalent about it.
More than strange, its heartbreaking.
I watched this press conference just cringing in embarrassment, again, that this pathetic creature is actually President of the USA. Fumbling, bumbling, uncomfortable, spouting stupid banalities, he was clearly out-classed and he knew it. Putin looked pained, as if he was having to share that at podium with a total loser he really didn’t even want to be seen with.
He made little to no eye contact with Bush, who was glanced at Putin every other silly sentence he uttered, if hoping for validation of whatever he’d said. Putin stared stonily ahead.
I imagine Putin is aware of the overall outcome Bush is after, and wants to distance himself from what seem to be another set up for us to go to war with Iran, and Syria, this time “in defense of an ally,” rather than preemptively.
Without diminishing the role militant groups have played in the ME, I no longer believe either Israel or the US, under this administration wants peace in the ME at all. Far too many profit, far too much, from fostering the chaos and war that get them closer to their own selfish agendas. As for the innocents that die, and the countries that get destroyed, I don’t think they even exist for those making the decisions to attack.
An incompetent, narcissistic sociopath dwells our the oval office now, surrounded by warmongers, neocons, radical religious fanatics and a greed driven corporate elite. This country ought to have listened to Arthur, and awakened a long way back.
Now the nightmare is well underway.
“the pig”–meaning the wild boar on the menu. He thought it was for lunch.
The new female German Chancellor has been touted as the new Bush best friend in Europe, since chum Blair is supposedly on his way out (though going down kicking and screaming).
But Merkel was interrupted not once, but several times by Bush’s impatience and childishness to be the center of attention. She was trying to answer reasonable questions by foreign and home journalists. Finally, the Chancellor blurted out that she hoped ‘the pig’ would be ready at dinner, or some such.
Seems like Bush hasn’t outgrown his antics that in the 1980s saw the Queen of England’s courtiers insist that he not be seated anywhere near her during a state visit.
Idiot.
.
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) June 27, 2006 — Russia will not get involved in any clash of civilizations, as conflict is not in its national interests, the president said.
“Russia does not need confrontation of any sort, and we will not be part of any ‘holy alliance,'” Vladimir Putin said at a meeting in the Foreign Ministry.
He said an element of uncertainty had remained after the bipolar geopolitical system collapsed, which might fuel talk about an inevitable conflict of civilizations similar to the Cold War.
Putin said new ideas and approaches were needed to thwart these dangerous trends and that the first World Summit of religious leaders, which will be held in Moscow on July 4-5, should draft initiatives on a dialogue between civilizations.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
For anyone wishing to gain some very useful insights into the dynamics of the current American-Russian relationship, I strongly recommend reading Stephen Cohen’s article The New American Cold War, which is the cover article in the current edition of The Nation. In the past twenty-odd years I have found Cohen to be consistently one of the most knowledgeable, perceptive and thoughtful commentators on the subject of American foreign policy – specifically in relation to the former Soviet Union – extant. The article is fairly lengthy, but well worth the 15 or 20 minutes that it takes to read.
What Cohen makes depressingly clear is that the kind of reckless, near-sociopathic avarice that animated the architects of the Treaty of Versailles that ended the first world war appears to be the exact same motivating force guiding American policy towards Russia today, a reality for which both political parties in this country are equally culpable. And it’s clear from this article that the potential fallout from these insanely short-sighted and self-destructive policies could be equally catastrophic, if not more so.
A quick read of Cohen’s piece prompts three thoughts: first, that he’s engaging in a fair amount of hyperbole himself; second, underneath that, it’s a very good discussion; and third, I don’t see that his conclusions are necessarily supportable. It seems to me that there’s considerably more latitude than he makes out for Russia to opt-out of US designs on it.
The first half of the article is summed up here:
Later parts of the article focus on characterising Russia as a somewhat dependent client of the US, and as being punished by the US for moving away from a servile political and economic stance. This is reminiscent of the old pact between non-aligned nations, and of the ways that India, Brasil, and a few other states forged alternative visions of geopolitical relations. I don’t see that Cohen takes this into account – possibly because doing so would undermine his thesis of the scary prospects facing us.
Two (separate) remarks: 1) Putin’s no crusades statement can be taken not only as a hint tow. Iran but tow. all the former Soviet states that are now independent states with Islam as the “main” religion. (Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan, …) There are a LOT of them… (Not to mention the Arab world.)
2) Germans in the Iran war? I highly doubt it. Merkel’s party is in coalition with Social Dems, who are very much against such adventures. And the population at large is absolutely anti-war. (And the coalition is fragile, and the Xtian Democrats’ lead very small.)
During the election campaign one of the most dramatic posters showed young soldiers standing to attention, and the caption was: SHE would have sent us to Iraq!
I think this says it all.
It is not only that the population is against pre-emptive war IN PRINCIPLE but the thing is that Germany has military conscription: Every young man has to choose between military or “civilian” service for a certain period. It is easy to imagine how a war would affect the lives of VERY MANY German families…